allen 2006 - mechatronics engineering

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Proceedings of The 2006 IJME - INTERTECH Conference

• Intelligent computer control in the design and manufacture of products and processes.

• The blending of mechanical, electronic, software, and control theory engineeringtopics into a unified framework that enhances the design process.

The multiple disciplines involved with mechatronics are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - Disciplines of Mechatronics

The specific objectives of the SPSU BSMtrE degree are to provide engineering graduates that:

• Understand the interdisciplinary fundamentals of mechanical engineering, electricalengineering, control systems, and their integration.

• Have strong team skills to solve complex problems that cross disciplinary boundaries.

• Perform research, design, and implementation of intelligent engineered products and processes enabled by the integration of mechanical, electronic, computer, andsoftware engineering technologies.

In order to understand the justification and need for Mechatronics Engineering, it is importantto discuss what mechatronics is, how it has developed, and where it is applied.




Mechatronics Defined - Interdisciplinary Engineering Education

IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics was the first refereed journal published in theUnited States focused on Mechatronics. In the first issue (March 1996), mechatronics wasdefined as: "The synergistic integration of mechanical engineering with electronics and

intelligent computer control in the design and manufacturing of industrial products and processes.” [6] The ten specific topics identified under the general category of mechatronicsare shown in Table 1:

Table 1 - Specific Topics of Mechatronics Engineering

• modeling and design • motion control• system integration • vibration and noise control• actuators and sensors • micro devices and optoelectronic

systems• intelligent control • automotive systems• robotics • manufacturing

Mechatronic systems can be a complete product or a sub-component of a product. Examplesof mechatronic systems include aircraft flight control and navigation systems; automotiveelectronic fuel injection and anti-lock brake systems; automated manufacturing systemsincluding robots, numerical control machining centers, packaging systems and plasticinjection-molding systems; artificial organs; health monitoring and surgical systems; copymachines; and many more. Some common element of all these systems is the integration ofanalog and digital circuits, microprocessors and computers, mechanical devices, sensors,actuators, and controls.Mechatronics Engineering graduates can select from a wide spectrum of industries for career

choices and can also contribute in a variety of roles including design engineer, softwareengineer, project planner, product designer, and project manager. Mechatronics Engineering program graduates are able to select from jobs as Mechatronics specialists in a variety ofindustries. Opportunities will also be available to graduates in smaller companies that needgeneralists who can perform both mechanical and electrical engineering functions.

Mechatronics Engineering - The Need in Industry

The National Science Board (NSB) publishes Science and Engineering Indicators for the U.S.every two years. The NSB observed alarming trends in the data published in Indicators 2004and published a companion report [19]. One of the key observations made in the report was:

“we have observed a troubling decline in the number of U.S. citizens who are training to become scientists and engineers, whereas the number of jobs requiring science and engineering(S&E) training continues to grow.” The report editors were compelled to issue a warning:“These trends threaten the economic welfare and security of our country.” A previously published report NSB 03-69, 2003 drew similar conclusions. The NSB report estimates thenumber of U.S. jobs requiring S&E skills is growing about 5% per year, compared to a 1%growth for the rest of the labor force. Concern is also expressed over foreign competition. The




NSB states that other countries have made increased S&E education investments at higher ratesthan the U.S.

As previously discussed, Mechatronics Engineering will lead to more technologicalinnovations due to interdisciplinary thinking. An example of this can be found by looking at

the packing machinery industry. The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute is a tradeassociation whose more than 500 members manufacture packaging and packaging-relatedconverting machinery in the United States and Canada. U.S. packaging machinery shipmentsreached $5.344 billion in 2004, a 9.3 percent increase over 2003. Two reasons cited for thisgrowth are: 1) increased emphasis on expanding packaging line automation when customersadded fully automatic or semi automatic machines where none had been before or upgradedfrom semi-automated to fully automated machinery and 2) demand creation through afavorable market reception to technological innovation and new model design. Primary benefits gained from the advanced technology were increased speed and output, higherefficiency, expanded flexibility, improved product handling, greater accuracy, simpler control,and more versatile handling through robotics [22].

Douglas Machine, a PMMI member, manufactures complex packaging machines and is aregional partner of the Center for Automation and Motion Control (CAMC) in Alexandria,MN. Douglas has stated that their competitors in Germany and Italy are benefiting from anearlier commitment by their industries and their governments’ support for a mechatroniccurriculum. Advancing beyond the mechanical timing paradigms of the past, MechatronicEngineers are able to design and manufacture the “next generation” of advanced packagingmachines [23]. “It's quite possible that within the next five years, there won't be a machinemade that doesn't use mechatronics in some aspect of its operation,” says Dr. Ken Ryan,director of the CAMC [24]. In April 2003, Keith Campbell, Executive Director of the OpenModular Architecture Controls (OMAC) Packaging Workgroup, stated “many of our members

believe that the USA lags behind European countries in the development of machines basedupon these technological advances [25].” OMAC is a 500 member organization founded in1997 by manufacturing technology leaders in automotive, aerospace and related metalworkingindustries through which companies work together to promote development and adoption ofopen automation controls.

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) conducted studies in 1997, 1999, and 2002 todetermine competency gaps between manufacturing industry’s workforce needs and what is provided by educational programs. Manufacturing Systems and Manufacturing ProcessControl are two high priority competency gaps identified in each study and were earmarked forfocus in the 2005 Manufacturing Education Plan [26]. A Mechatronics Engineering graduate

will have knowledge of and be capable of applying engineering principles for design,modeling, and implementation of manufacturing automation systems and manufacturing process control. Availability of graduates in Mechatronics Engineering will help industryreduce the identified critical competency gaps.

The next few years will witness a continued demand for engineering jobs. "There is this myththat the last thing you should do is go into engineering," says Diana Farrell, head of McKinsey




Global Institute (MGI). "But the underlying growth of demand for engineers is so great thateven when you consider the potential of offshoring, there will be demand in the U.S [27].”MGI was founded in 1990 to research critical economic issues facing businesses andgovernments around the world.

Tim Foutz, a professor and undergraduate engineering program coordinator in the Universityof Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said "According to nationaldata, engineering and technical jobs are increasing at five times the rate of any other workforce. A lot of current engineers are reaching retirement age. Plus, the United States imports12-15 percent of its engineers, and Georgia is at the lead of that trend. The demand forengineers is there.” [28].Thomas S. Moore, general manager for technical affairs at Chrysler Corporation in MadisonHeights, Michigan was quoted as saying "I believe that mechanical engineers with amechatronics background will have a better chance of becoming managers. We seemechatronics as the career of the future for mechanical engineers." [9]

John F. Elter, vice president of strategic programs at Xerox Corp. in Webster, N.Y believes"Classically trained mechanical engineers will run the risk of being left out of the interestingwork. At Xerox, we need designers who understand the control theory well enough tosynthesize a better design. These people will have much more of a chance to lead. One possibility is that the mechatronics practitioner will prototype the whole design, then thespecialists in the various disciplines will take over the detail design." [9]

The Need for Interdisciplinary Education

Many engineered products and processes are developed by integrating multiple technologiesinto a problem solution [6]. These technologies often span a variety of disciplines, thereby

increasing the complexities of design problems faced by engineers. If an engineering designteam is composed of individuals trained in the classic disciplines (mechanical engineering,electrical engineering, chemical engineering …), it will be difficult to provide the best designsolution for interdisciplinary problems [6]. Mechatronics advances the ideas of interactionfurther with interdisciplinary thinking by individual engineers in addition to the multi-disciplinary team approaches. Tomizuka [8] supports this conclusion by stating “Mechatronicsmay be interpreted as the best practice for the synthesis of engineering systems”. Kevin Craig,Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, states: "Mechatronics does not changethe design process. It gives the engineer greater knowledge, so the concepts that are developedare better, and communication with other engineering disciplines is improved. The result is a

highly balanced design [9]."

Van Brussel, a robotics researcher, also supports mechatronics interdisciplinary education. Inthe IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Van Brussel wrote: "In the past, machine and product design has, almost exclusively, been the preoccupation of mechanical engineers.Solutions to control and programming problems were added by control and software engineers,after the machine had been designed by mechanical engineers. This sequential-engineering




approach usually resulted in suboptimal designs. Recently, machine design has been profoundly influenced by the evolution of microelectronics, control engineering, and computerscience. What is needed, as a solid basis for designing high-performance machines, is asynergistic cross-fertilization between the different engineering disciplines. This is exactlywhat mechatronics is aiming at; it is a concurrent-engineering view of machine design [10]."

The lack of interdisciplinary education and its importance are claimed by Mayer-Krahmer [11].Studies discussed by Mayer-Krahmer have concluded that technology should not be separatedinto the discrete classic disciplines. Mechatronic innovations are often stimulated from anintegrated discipline approach as opposed to the composite of disparate disciplines [12]. Thefull potential of interdisciplinary solutions results from bridging the gap between producttechnologies and engineering disciplines [11][13]. In other studies by: 1) Association ofAmerican Colleges and Universities 2002 [14]; 2) National Research Council 2002 [15], 3) National Research Council 2003a [16]; 4) National Research Council 2003b [17]; and 5)Project Kaleidoscope 2002 [18]; science and engineering educators are urged to move towardmore interdisciplinary education.

Mechatronics Engineering Education Around the World

There are no undergraduate Mechatronics Engineering programs in the State of Georgia.Mechatronics has been evolving in industry and education since its definition in 1969 and isnow widely recognized around the world. The Accreditation Board of Engineering andTechnology (ABET) / Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) is charged withengineering education accreditation in the United States. The Washington Accord is anagreement between ABET and the similar accrediting agencies in Australia, Canada, HongKong, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. The members ofthe accord recognize the substantial equivalency of accreditation systems of organizations

holding signatory status and the engineering education programs accredited by them. Table 2lists the accrediting agencies that participate in the Washington Accord.

Table 2 - Accreditation Agencies Recognized by the Washington Accord

AgencyAbbrev. Accrediting Agency Name

IEA The Institution of Engineers Australia

HKIE The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers

EI Engineers Ireland

ENZ Engineers New Zealand

ECSA Engineering Council of South Africa

ECUK Engineering Council United Kingdom

ABET/EAC Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology / Engineering Accreditation Commission

CDPE Canadian Council of Professional Engineers

JABEE Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education




Institution

Degree NameBS - Bachelor of

ScienceBEng - Bachelor of

EngineeringBME - Bachelor ofMechanical Eng.

Agency(See

Table 2)First

AccreditedToowoomba, Australia Engineering

University of Sydney, Sydney,Australia

BEng MechatronicEngineering IEA 1991

University of Tasmania, Hobart,Australia

BEng MechatronicsEngineering IEA 2001

The University of WesternAustralia, Perth, Australia BEng Mechatronics IEA 2000

University of Western Sydney,Sydney, Australia

BEng Robotics andMechatronics IEA 1999

University of Wollongong,Wollongong, Australia BEng Mechatronics IEA 2002

City University of Hong Kong,Kowloon, Hong Kong

BEng Degree inMechatronic Engineering HKIE

Dublin City University, Dublin,Ireland

BEng in MechatronicEngineering EI

Massey University, Albany, NewZealand BEng Mechatronics ENZ 1999

University of Cape Town, SouthAfrica

BS in EngineeringMechatronic Engineering ECSA 1997

Blackpool & The Fylde College, UK BEng Mechatronics ECUK 2004

Brunel University, UK

BEng IntegratedEngineeringMechatronics ECUK 1998

University of Hull, UK BEng Mechatronics ECUK 1992

East Lancashire Institute of HigherEducation Blackburn, UK BEng Mechatronics ECUK 2004

University of Lancaster, UKBEng MechatronicEngineering ECUK 1987

University of Lancaster, UKBEng MechatronicSystems Engineering ECUK 1986

Liverpool John Moores University -Liverpool Polytechnic, UK

BEng IntegratedEngineeringMechatronics ECUK 1999

University of London - King'sCollege, UK BEng Mechatronics ECUK 1998

University of Manchester, UKBEng MechatronicEngineering ECUK 2005




Institution

Degree NameBS - Bachelor of

ScienceBEng - Bachelor of

EngineeringBME - Bachelor ofMechanical Eng.

Agency(See

Table 2)First

AccreditedManchester Metropolitan University- Manchester Polytechnic, UK

BEng Mechatronics(Automation & Control) ECUK 1997

University of Newcastle upon Tyne,UK BME with Mechatronics ECUK 1997

Sheffield Hallam University -Sheffield City Polytechnic, UK BEng Mechatronics ECUK 1996 (2002)

Staffordshire University - NorthStaffordshire Polytechnic, UK BEng Mechatronics ECUK 1996 (2002)

University of Surrey, UK BME with Mechatronics ECUK 1991

University of Sussex, UK BEng Mechatronics ECUK 1996

Napier University - NapierPolytechnic of Edinburgh, UK BEng Mechatronics ECUK 2004

Glamorgan University - Polytechnicof Wales, UK

BEng MechatronicEngineering ECUK 1995

California State University, Chico,CA

BS in MechatronicsEngineering

ABET/EAC 1998

Mechatronics Engineering Education in the United States

In the United States, Mechatronics Engineers tend to emerge from masters degree programsafter a first degree in mechanical or electrical engineering [21]. There is only one U.S.undergraduate program offering an ABET accredited degree in mechatronics; California StateUniversity, Chico – Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics Engineering. Beginning fallsemester 2005, Colorado State University in Pueblo has offered a Bachelor’s of Engineering inMechatronics with the goal of ABET accreditation in 2011. Of the forty-two accredited (orequivalent) Bachelor’s degrees in mechatronics recognized by ABET, only one degree is froma university in the United States. Hsu stated in the April 1999 Journal of EngineeringEducation that “The need for formalized mechatronics education in the US is thus longoverdue” [21]. In his study, he concluded “there is a clear need for BS engineering graduateswith knowledge and skill in mechatronics by American industry.”

While there is a lack of undergraduate Mechatronics programs in the United States, there has been a lot of research on the subject of mechatronics. The National Science Foundation hasmade forty-six mechatronic grant awards since 1992 for $6.5 million as shown in Table 4.There have been many more awards related to mechatronics technology (i.e., robotics,automated manufacturing, motion control, etc.); however, only awards with mechatronics asthe primary topic were listed.




Table 4 - National Science Foundation Grants for Mechatronics Since 1992

Award# NSF Grant Title

Awarded to

Date Start Date

9213542Engineering Faculty Internship: Mechatronic Design& Constr. of a Materials Handling Test Apparatus $24,208 15-Jun-92

9300025

A Design Information System for ConcurrentEngineering with Application to MechatronicsDesign $238,311 1-Jul-93

9352301 Design Of Mechatronic Systems $93,911 1-Jul-93

9354913Mechatronics in Machine Tool Research. (FocusArea-Machine Tool Research) $557,500 1-Oct-93

9354403

Design of Electro-Mechanical (Mechatronic)Systems An Integrated Inter-Departmental

Curriculum $110,000 1-Jun-94

9414585

Integrated Structure/Control Design of MechatronicSystems Using a Recursive Structure ReinforcementMethod $225,000 1-Oct-94

9455124 Preparing Leaders for Mechatronics Education $150,000 1-Jan-95

9455395Undergraduate Curriculum Development onMechatronic Systems Engineering $494,279 1-Feb-95

9513162

East Asia & Pacific Regional Workshop:Mechatronics Technology in San Jose, CA, May 19-24, 1996 $49,957 1-Mar-96

9622220 REG: Development of a Mechatronics Workstation $42,266 1-Aug-96

9651083 The Mechatronics Design Workshop $41,000 15-Aug-96

9632828Mechatronic Design and Control of Media HandlingMechanisms for Printing Engines $197,426 15-Sep-96

9634796Control Theory for Nonlinear, Distributed,Mechatronic Systems with Applications $63,834 1-Jan-97

9652937Learning by Tinkering: Applications of a PC PrinterPort in Mechatronics $120,000 1-Mar-97

9706642

International Conference on Advanced IntelligentMechatronics; Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan;June 16-20, 1997 $26,000 1-Mar-97

9619992 Research Experience for Undergraduates inMechatronics and Smart Structures $238,441 1-Apr-97

9751387Development of a New MultidisciplinaryUndergraduate Mechatronics Laboratory $64,196 1-Jul-97

9722870 Mechatronic Design Course and Japan Site Visits $15,660 1-Aug-97

9750672Mechatronics Experiments in MechanicalEngineering Laboratory $57,815 1-Aug-97




Award# NSF Grant TitleAwarded to

Date Start DateSuppression in Mechatronic Systems (GOALI)

423739

RR:CISE Instrumentation: Remote ResearchCapability with Hardware-in-the-loop Simulators forMechatronic Systems $49,866 15-Aug-04

443484

Travel Support for US Attendees at the ThirdInternational Federation of Automatic Control(IFAC) Symposium on Mechatronic Systems $5,000 1-Sep-04

451274US-Japan Cooperative Program on Sensors, SmartStructures, and Mechatronic Systems $150,000 15-Sep-04

520155

Partial Student Travel Support for US Students toAttend 2005 IEEE/ASME Advanced IntelligentMechatronics Conference (AIM'05); Monterey, CA;July 24-28, 2005 $5,000 1-Jul-05

531531

Joint U.S.-China Workshop on Integrated SensingSystems, Mechatronics and Smart StructuresTechnologies; September 19-21, 2005; ShandongProvince, China $30,560 1-Jul-05

529451Sensors: Sensing Rich Drive Trains for ModernMechatronic Systems $290,001 15-Aug-05

Total Mechatronic Awards $6,443,782

Student Demand for a Mechatronics Engineering Degree

Since inception in 2003, SPSU has formed and operated the Georgia Boosting Engineering,

Science, and Technology (BEST) Robotics K-12 outreach program. Corporate sponsors andmany dedicated individuals from industry and academia have volunteered each year to supportthe Georgia BEST robotic competitions. Southern Polytechnic has been the host venue for the2003, 2004, & 2005 State of Georgia competitions.

The BEST competition motivates students by challenging them to build a remotely controlledrobot that accomplishes a defined task within a competitive setting. A professional engineerand a school coach guide student teams through the engineering process. Using only thematerials provided, students have six weeks to design, develop, and test a robot that canoutperform their competitors. During this time, the students experience the same problems,challenges, and breakthroughs that an engineering team encounters when it takes a product to

market. In all cases, there are team dynamics, time constraints, material constraints, and pressure from other teams who are trying to solve the same problem. Placed in a real situation,with real problems, the students provide real (and ingenious) solutions.

In the 3 years of operation, the number of participating schools has doubled, beginning with 12high schools in 2003. In 2005, 24 high school and middle school teams from across the statecompeted; drawing about 1,500 students, parents, and supporters to the event. In the near




future, additional venues will have to be added because the SPSU facility is near capacity forthe size of the competition. The rapid growth of the Georgia BEST Robotics competition leadsto the conclusion that there is significant high school student interest in robotics. Robotics isone of the primary applications of mechatronic principles.

Figure 2 shows the number of high school students across the U.S that competed in the BESTRobotics Competition for the last 9 years. The number of BEST competitors has continuallyincreased since its inception.

Boost Engineering, Science, & Technology

Robotics Competition

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

Year

S t u

d e n t s

Figure 2 - BEST Robotics Competition Student Growth

SPSU is also a regional sponsor for the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science andTechnology) Robotics Competition. FIRST has grown to more than 25,000 high school

students in its annual national competition. As shown in Figure 3, high school student interestin FIRST robotics continues to show significant growth.




FIRST Robotics Growth

0

100

200

300

400

500

600700

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Year

T e a m s

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

2500030000

S t u d e n t s

Teams Students

Figure 3 - First Robotics Competition Student Growth

Both the BEST and FIRST competitions are sponsored by companies(notably Siemens, NASA,Lockheed, Scientific Atlanta, etc.) that want to foster students’ interest in general engineeringand mechatronics in particular.

B.S. in Mechatronics Engineering Curriculum

The B.S. Mechatronics Engineering degree proposed by Southern Polytechnic is designed to be128 hours. The program will consist of the University System of Georgia (USG) Core

curriculum, the Electrical Engineering Core, the Mechanical Engineering Core, SoftwareEngineering, and Mechatronics Engineering. The mechatronics program hours by componentare as follows:

• USG Core Curriculum – 60 credit hourso Area A – Essential Skills – 9 Hours

Composition I – 3 Hours Composition II – 3 Hours Calculus I – 4 Hours (1 extra hour carried over to Area F)

o Area B – Institutional Options – 4 Hours Public Speaking – 2 Hours Science, Technology, and Society – 2 Hours

o Area C – Humanities / Fine Arts – 6 Hours Literature of the World – 3 Hours (Any One)

• World Literature – 3 Hours

• Western Literature I – 3 Hours

• Western Literature II – 3 Hours

• British Literature – 3 Hours

• American Literature – 3 Hours




Art and Culture of the World – 3 Hours (Any One)

• Art Appreciation – 3 Hours

• Drama Appreciation – 3 Hours

• Music Appreciation – 3 Hours

•

Elementary French II – 3 Hours• Elementary German II – 3 Hours

• Elementary Spanish II – 3 Hourso Area D – Science, Mathematics, and Technology – 11 Hours

Principles of Physics I – 4 Hours Principles of Physics II – 4 Hours Discrete Mathematics – 3 Hours

o Area E – Social Sciences – 12 Hours American Context – 3 Hours (Any One)

• U.S. History I – 3 Hours

• U.S. History II – 3 Hours

•

American Government – 3 Hours World History – 3 Hours (Any One)

• World Civilization: Ancient – 3 Hours

• World Civilization: Medieval – 3 Hours

• World Civilization: Modern – 3 Hours Behavioral Sciences – 3 Hours (Any One)

• Introduction to Economics – 3 Hours

• Introduction to General Psychology – 3 Hours Culture & Societies – 3 Hours (Any One)

• Introduction to Anthropology – 3 Hours

• Ethnic Studies – 3 Hours

• Introduction to Human Geography – 3 Hours• Global Issues – 3 Hours

• World Religion – 3 Hourso Area F – Related to Major of Study – 18 Hours

Principles of Chemistry I – 4 Hours Technical Writing – 3 Hours Ordinary Differential Equations – 3 Hours Probability & Statistics – 3 Hours Calculus II – 4 Hours Core Area A Carry Over of 1 Hour

• Mechanical Engineering Courses – 23 Hourso Survey of Engineering Graphics – 2 Hourso Statics – 3 Hourso Dynamics – 3 Hourso Strength of Materials & Engineering Materials – 4 Hourso Fluid Mechanics – 4 Hourso Machine Dynamics for Mechatronics Engineers – 3 Hourso Instruments and Controls – 4 Hours




• Electrical Engineering Courses – 20 Hourso Circuits – 4 Hourso Digital Circuits – 4 Hourso Electronics I – 4 Hourso Electric Machines – 4 Hourso Control Systems – 4 Hours

• Software Engineering Courses – 8 Hourso Software Engineering I – 4 Hourso Software Engineering II – 4 Hours

• Mechatronics Engineering Courses – 14 Hourso Survey of Mechatronics Engineering – 1 Houro Mechatronics Engineering Fundamentals – 3 Hourso Robotics Analysis and Synthesis – 3 Hourso Digital Controls for Mechatronics Engineering – 3 Hourso Mechatronics System Design – 4 Hours

The Mechatronics Engineering curriculum is shown graphically in

Figure 4. The core curriculum courses are detailed inFigure 5 and the course sequences are illustrated in the curriculum flowchart provided inFigure 6. The program delivery format at SPSU will be focused on applied engineering; providing a mixture of lecture and laboratory.




Figure 4 - Bachelor of Science Mechatronics Engineering Curriculum Diagram

Figure 5 - Bachelor of Science Mechatronics Engineering Core Curriculum




Major Elective Courses - Any One (3 hrs)

ENGR 2110

Circuits

(4 hrs)

MTRE 2200

Digital Circuits

(4 hrs)

ENGR 2300

Electronics I

(4 hrs)

ENGR 3500

Electric Machines

(4 hrs)

ENGR 4610Control Systems

(4 hrs)

SWE 1301

Software

Engineering I (4 hrs)

MATH 2260

Probability &

Statistics (3 hrs)

USG Core F-5

ENGR 2214

Statics

(3 hrs)

ENGR 3122

Dynamics

(3 hrs)

ENGR 3101

Fluid Mechanics

(4 hrs)

MTRE 2500

Strength of Materials &

Engineering Materials (4 hrs)

MTRE 3500 Machine

Dynamics for Mechatronics

Engineers (3 hrs)

ENGR 4421

Instruments and

Controls (4 hrs)

MTRE 1500

Mechatronics

Engineering

Fundamentals (3 hrs)

MTRE 4000

Digital Controls for

Mechatronics

Engineering (3 hrs)

MTRE 4200

Robotics Analysis and

Synthesis (3 hrs)

MTRE 4400

Mechatronics System

Design (4 hrs)

SPCH 2400

Public Speaking

USG Core B-1 (2 hrs)

STS 2400

Science, Tech., &

Society

USG CoreB-2 (2 hrs)

HIST 2111 or 2112

U.S. History or POLS 1101

American Gov’t

USG Core E-1 (3 hrs)

HIST 1011, 1012,

or 1013World History

USG Core

E-2 (3 hrs)

ECON 1101

or PSYC 1101

Behavioral Sciences

USG Core E-3 (3 hrs)

ANTH 1102, ES 1100,

GEOG 1101, POLS 2401,or RELG 1200

Cultures & SocietiesUSG Core E-4 (3 hrs)

ENGL 21XX

Literature

USG Core

C-1 (3 hrs)

Arts or Culture

USG Core C-2

(3 hrs)

CHEM 1211K

Principles of Chemistry I

USG Core F-1 (4 hrs)

TCOM 2010

Technical Writing


MATH 2306

Ordinary Differential Eq.


MTRE 1000

Survey of

Mechatronics

Engineering (1 hr)

MATH 2345

Discrete

Mathematics

(3 hrs)USG Core F-6

PHYS 2211K

Principles of Physics I

USG Core D-1 (4 hrs)

PHYS 22121K

Principles of Physics II

USG Core D-2 (4 h rs)

MATH 2254

Calculus II

USG Core D-3 (4 hrs)

ENGL 1101

Composition I

USG Core A-1 (3 hrs)

ENGL 1102

Composition II

USG Core A-2 (3 hrs)

MATH 2253

Calculus I

USG Core A-3 (4 h rs)

Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics Engineering - Program Flow ChartSemester Semester

(15 hrs)

(17 hrs)

(17 hrs)

(16 hrs)

(17 hrs)

(13 hrs)

(17 hrs)

(16 hrs)

(128 Total Hrs) 6/2006

SWE 1302

Software

Engineering II (4 hrs)

MTRE 4500

Intelligent Control

Systems

(3 hrs)

MTRE 4900

Digital Signal

Processing

(3 hrs)

CS 3153

Database Systems

(3 hrs)

Co

Co

ENGR 1210

Survey of Engineering

Graphics (2 hrs)

Figure 6 - Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics Engineering Program Flow Chart

Conclusions

As evidenced by the continued growth in the FIRST and BEST robotics competitions, a clearconclusion can be made that high school students have a great interest in mechanisms andelectronics (Mechatronics) and that interest is showing a significant increase. In an impactstudy, FIRST Robotics concluded that competition students are more than three times as likelyto major specifically in engineering as compared to non-competing students [29].

The lack of interdisciplinary education and its importance are documented [11]. Highereducation in the United States is not keeping pace with the rest of the world in offeringinterdisciplinary degrees in mechatronics. Mechatronics has been evolving in industry andeducation since its definition in 1969 and is now widely recognized around the world. There

are forty-two undergraduate Mechatronics Engineering Programs recognized by theAccreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) / Engineering AccreditationCommission (EAC). These programs are offered in 7 countries. However, only one of the 42degree programs is from a university in the United States. While many may acknowledge theimportance of interdisciplinary education and specifically mechatronics engineering, it isapparent with only one accredited program, the U.S. higher education system has been slow todevelop programs compared with other parts of the world.




There is a critical shortage of students enrolled in Science and Engineering fields. The trend issignificant to the point where the economic welfare and security of the United States isthreatened [19]. To counter this trend, universities need to create interdisciplinary programsthat will attract students and also meet the work force requirements of industry.

References

[1]. T. More, "Mecha-tronics," Yaskawa Internal Trademark Application Memo 21.131.01,July 12, 1969.

[2]. Japan Trade Mark Kohhoku, Class 9, Shou 46-32713, 46-32714, Jan. 1971.

[3]. Japan Trade Registration No. 946594, Jan. 1972.

[4]. ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission, “Criteria For Accrediting EngineeringPrograms, Effective for Evaluations During the 2006-2007 Accreditation Cycle”,October, 29, 2005, Balitmore, MD.

[5]. Harashima, F., Tomizuka, M. and Fukuda, T., “Mechatronics-“What Is It, Why, andHow?” An Editorial”, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Vol. 1, pp. 1-4,1996.

[6]. D.M., "What is mechatronics?", IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, vol. 1, no.1, pp. 5-9, March 1996.

[7]. Jones, R.W., Mace, B.R., & Tham, M.T., “The Evolution of Mechanical Engineering

Curricula: Mechatronics”, International Conference on Engineering Education, August18-21, 2002, Manchester, United Kingdom.

[8]. Tomizucka, M., “Mechatronics: from the 20th to 21st Century”, 1st IFAC Conferenceon Mechatronics, Darmstadt, 2000.

[9]. Ashley, S., “Getting a hold on mechatronics”, Mechanical Engineering, May 1997, pp.60-63, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers,

[10]. Van Brussel, H.M.J., “Mechatronics – a powerful concurrent engineering framework”,IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Volume 1, Issue 2, pp. 127-136, June1996.

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Biographies

R. Glenn Allen is Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology at SouthernPolytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia. He joined the faculty at SouthernPolytechnic in September 1995. He has over 15 years of industrial experience as a Flight TestEngineer with the Lockheed-Georgia Company and as a Field Sales Engineer with the IntelCorporation. He has a BSMET from Southern College of Technology and a MSCS fromSouthern Polytechnic State University. He also serves as Director of Georgia BEST (BoostingEngineering, Science, and Technology) Robotics.

allen 2006 - mechatronics engineering

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